Comminuting device

ABSTRACT

A device for processing cremation residues, in which magnetic portions are removed from a residue. The cleaned residue is comminuted and conducted away and is emptied into an urn. Comminuted residue fine dust is filtered out of an air stream, and only fine dust is drawn from the conducting conduit which brings comminuted residue out of the comminuting device, this dust being forced in an air stream through the filtering device.

United States Patent 119 Wittke Nov. 6, 1973 I 1 COMMINUTING DEVICE 3,190,566 6/1965 Cressy et a1 241/101 M x I 3,612,415 10/1971 Merges 241/189 R 2 Rodenbdch 1,989,416 1 1935 Hartman 241 100 x cjl i lflmfl I73] s gg' a z i j Nerges Primary Examiner-Granville Y. Custer, Jr.

gang anau ermany v Attorney-George H. Spencer et al. [22] Filed: Oct. 12, 1971 1 [21] Appl. No.: 187,955 ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Appnc'ation priority Data A device for processing cremation residues, in which 0c 2 1970 German P 20 21 5768 magnetic portions are removed from a residue. The y cleaned residue is comminuted and conducted away and is emptied into an urn. Comminuted residue fine ;6231922 dust is filtered out of an air stream, and only fine dust [58] i 1 79 81 is drawn from the conducting conduit which brings 6 comminuted residue out of the comminuting device, this dust being forced in an air stream through the fil- [56] References Cited 1 termg UNITED STATES PATENTS 13 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2,962,230 11/1960 Dilley et al. 241/77 X 20L; [6 I 29%- -1* 1 L P 1 i 1 l L, l 1 l 1 i \l 1 i l 1 i PATENTEDNUY 6 1975 SHEET 1 n; 2

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1 COMMINU'IING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a comminuting device for cremation residues incrematories with urn filling devices, and more particularly-to a device including a comminuting machine with a magnetic separator, an exhaust blower, an urn holding device, and a filtering device for fine dust.

It is known that the cremation residues occurring in crematories are filled into urns. The residues are initially inhomogeneous and are not then suited for filling into urns. It has'thus been the custom to manually comminute the bulky pieces of residues after having first removed ferromagnetic pieces by means of a magnet. The residues were subsequently manually sifted to obtain ashes of the greatest possible uniformity in the urns. i

This is complicated and objectionable for many reasons. For one thing, it is very difficult to find personnel to perform such tasks.

In order to get away from the manual treatment of cremation residues, a device has been constructed with which the cremation residues are brought to a vibratory sieve via a roller. The material passing through the sieve is then moved, by means of-a worm conveyor, to

a paper sack fastened to the outside of the device and is not used to fill the urn. The sieve residue, mixed with nails etc. is passed over a drum magnet to separate the nails and is then filled in its original, i.e. inhomogeneous, form into an urn and is manually compressed to reduce the volume.

Another device operating according to the same principle is also known in which manual compression is again required. I

The drawback of these devices is that manual comminution of the larger parts of the cremation residues cannot be avoided.

A substantial improvement is realized-with a device in which the cremation residues are brought to a drum magnet separator, with the iron-free material then passing to a hammer mill. Below this mill the entire comminuted material is sucked out by a blower and forwarded by the pressurized air of the blower into a cyclone separator. In order to capture the dust-laden exhaust from the cyclone, a series of long filter hoses are connected to the top-center of the cyclone.

The cremation residues fall from the bottom of the cyclone into an urn disposed below in airtight connection with the cyclone discharge.

This device in its entirety inevitably has very large dimensions and can therefore be used only at locations where there is sufficient room for its installation,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an apparatus of the above-mentioned type which requires less space and which is simpler in its constructive design, with an improvement and simplification of operation, and not requiring a manual handling of cremation residues.

This as well as other objects which will become apparent in the discussion that follows are achieved, according to the present invention, by a device for processing cremation residues, including means for cleaning magnetic portions from a residue, means, connected to the means for cleaning magnetic portions, for

receiving and comminuting thus cleaned residue, means for conducting comminuted residue out of the means for comminuting, means for supporting an urn below the means for conducting for emptying comminuted residue into an urn, means for filtering comminuted residue fine dust out of an air stream, and means, connected between the means for conducting and the means for filtering, for drawing only fine dust from the means for conducting and forcing the drawn fine dust in an air stream through the means for filtering.

I BRIEF DESCRIPTION'OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially sectional view of a crematory furnace.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The device of the invention includes a comminution machine with magnetic separator, an exhaust fan, an urn holding device and a filtering device for fine dust. It is distinguished by the fact that a short discharge pipe is provided below the comminuting machine into whose side opens a suction pipe of a relatively weak exhaust fan for withdrawing fine dust, this exhaust fan being connected at its pressure side with afiltering hose and the urn holding device being disposed below the discharge pipe.

In a further embodiment of the invention all individual components of the device are arranged in a com pact manner with respect to one another in a box-type frame. This frame may be provided with casters so that the entire device can be moved about.

In a device of such construction, all driving assemblies, such as the comminution mill motor, the blower motor, and the drive motor for the magnetic separator, are also installed within the box-type frame and are wired together so that the device just needs to be plugged in. The frame may have its opening on the side and be otherwise provided with paneling so that a regular cabinet is produced which has merely the openings for inserting and removing the um and a container for the separated magnetic pieces.

In order to simplify'movement of the device this often takes place over narrow staircases and through tight passages the frame may be dividable at approximately half its height. The individual parts of the device are then also designed to slide into and out of one another at the same level so that some parts remain with the top half of the frame and some parts remain with the bottom half when the frame is divided. In this case, both halves of the device can be carried by two people without difficulty and can then easily beput together and connected without the aid of special tools.

Decisive for the application of this compact construction is that, according to the present invention, the cremation residues leaving the comminuting machine, which have been brought to a uniform size, directly pass into the um and that only the fine dust is sucked out by an exhaust fan to avoid a cloud of dust when the urn is removed from the discharge end of the comminuting machine.

In 'contradistinction thereto, in the known device all of the cremation residues leaving the comminuting machine are brought through the fan and forwarded to the filtering apparatus. In view of the relatively large amount of air involved, the filtering apparatus for filtering out the fine dust consists of a plurality of filter hoses and is correspondingly bulky.

In the novel device of the present invention, however, the exhaust blower may be kept much smaller than previously possible (a small vacuum cleaner blower is already sufficient) so that additional energy is saved. The required filter surface is correspondingly small. And, according to the present invention, a cyclone separator, which is also constructively and spatially complicated and expensive, is not required.

Further details, features and advantages of the present invention will become evident from the following description of an embodiment illustrated in the drawings.

A comminuting machine 1, preferably a hammer mill, with a sieve 34 disposed in the lower half of its housing, a rotor 35 mounted in bearings only on one side, the left side in FIG. 2, in, for example, bearing 36, and a frontal cover 37, is mounted in a box-type frame 2 and driven by an electromotor 3. Above the comminuting machine 1 is disposed a Y-shaped pipe 4 in which a drum magnet 5 rotates. The drum magnet 5 is driven by an electromotor 6 whose rotational speed is adjustable.

A discharge pipe 7 of the Y-pipe 4 opens into the comminuting machine 1, the other discharge pipe 8 ending above a drawer-type box 9 which can be pulled out of the box-shaped frame 2 and which serves to receive the ferromagnetic pieces separated by the drum magnet 5. Below the comminuting machine 1, a conically tapered discharge pipe 10 is connected to the housing of the'machine. Communicating laterally into this discharge pipe is a pipe 1 1 leading to a suction pipe 12 of an exhaust blower 13. On the pressure side, a pipeline 15 leads to a filter hose 14 from the exhaust blower 13.

A bracket 17 for an urn holding device 18 is fastened to a perpendicularly disposed, profiled strut 16. The urn holding device 18 includes an urn supporting plate 20 which rests on a spring-tensioned axially displaceable pipe or bar 21. A lever arm 22 is connected to the lower side of bracket 17. At its free end, lever arm 22 is provided with a pedal 23. Pressure on the pedal 23 lowers the lever arm 22. This simultaneously lowers pipe 21 which is connected with lever arm 22 via an extension. This is accomplished by compressing a spring which is disposed in the guide portion 24 of the urn holding device 18 made up of supporting plate 20 and pipe 21. When the pedal 23 is released, the spring presses pipe 21, and thus supporting plate 20, upwardly so that an um 25 placed on the supporting plate 20 is pressed against and centered by the discharge pipe 10 and is brought into sealing contact with the discharge The box-type frame 2 preferably is made of profiled rail material such as angle iron. It may be encased by paneling so that a regular cabinet is obtained which need be open or openable only in the area of the urn filling or holding device.

At the rear of the cabinet formed in this manner, box 9 may be pulled out in the manner of a drawer. Cover 37 is externally accessible and openable through hatch 38 in the paneling.

The box-type frame 2 may be divided at about onehalf of its height by removing nuts 30 from bolts 31 to release the flange 32 of the upper half from angle iron 33 of the bottom half. On lifting the upper half, motor 3 and machine 1 remain with the upper half. Discharge pipe 10 slides out of its sealed relationship with machine 1 and remains in the lower half. Pipeline 15 likewise slides apart, at the level on which the top and bottom halves of the frame 2 are connected.

The box-type frame 2 may be provided with casters so that the entire comminuting and um filling device may be moved about.

A special fill container 26 serves to load the novel device of the invention. The fill container 26 can be inserted between rails 28 disposed above the magnetic drum fill-opening 27 and can be fastened there for communication with the magnetic drum 5. The bottom of container 26 is designed as a removable slide 29, the withdrawal of which causes the cremation residues present in the fill container 26 to fall onto drum magnet 5. Cover 30 forms a dust-tight seal with container 26 to prevent dust escape during movement and during withdrawal of slide 29.

The shape of container 26 is so selected that it can be placed in a dust-tight manner directly below a grate 40 of a crematory furnace 41, as shown in FIG. 3, so that cremation residues reach the fill container 26 directly and without the formation of dust when they leave the crematory furnace. To make the container 26 fit in a dust-tight manner below the furnace, means identical to parts 20-24 may be provided. A chimney 42 and a coffin 39 are visible in FIG. 3.

A particular advantage of the novel comminuting device of the present invention for cremation residues in Crematories having urn filling devices is its provision of a plug-in construction which permits the use of such a device in a comparatively very small space without installation work being required at the location where it is to be used.

It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for processing cremation residues, comprising in combination:

a. cleaning means for removing magnetic portions from a residue;

b. means connected to said cleaning means for receiving and comminuting thus cleaned residue;

0. means connected to said comminuting means for conducting comminuted residue out of said comminuting means;

d. means disposed below said conducting means for supporting an urn below said conducting means for emptying comminuted residue into an urn;

e. means for filtering comminuted residue fine dust out of an air stream;

f. means connecting said conducting means with said filtering means for drawing only fine dust from said conducting means for forcing the drawn fine dust in an air stream through said filtering means; and

g. support means for carrying the means defined in (a) (f) and encompassing them to form a unitary compact structure.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for conducting comprises a discharge pipe connected to said means for receiving and comminuting; wherein said means for drawing and forcing comprises an exhaust blower and a suction pipe communicating laterally with said discharge pipe at a substantially right angle with respect to the direction of residue flow in the latter; wherein said means for filtering comprises a filter hose, said blower being connected on its pressure side to said filter hose; and wherein said means for supporting an urn is disposed below said discharge pipe.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support means includes a cabinet-like closed structure.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said support means includes a box-shaped frame to which said means defined in (a) (f) are secured and which is enclosed by said cabinet-like closed structure.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the boxshaped support means includes caster means for moving about.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support means includes frame means to which said means defined in (a) (j) are secured; further comprising means for dividing said frame means at about one-half of its height into upper and lower portions; and means engaging said frame means for separably tightening together said upper and lower portions.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for receiving and comminuting includes a hammer mill with a horizontal drive shaft and a sieve disposed in a lower housing half.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rotor of said hammer mill is mounted in bearings only on one side and said mill includes an openable frontal housing cover.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for supporting an urn comprises an urn supporting plate, a bar affixed to said urn supporting plate, a guide portion in engagement and cooperating with said bar, said bar is arranged for axial displacement in said guide portion.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising spring means at least indirectly connected to said urn supporting plate for pressing an urn disposed on said urn supporting plate against said discharge pipe.

1 l. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said dischargepipe includes means for centering an um.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said spring means for causing said supporting plate to press an urn sealingly against said discharge pipe is disposed in said guide portion.

13. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising rails affixed to the top of said support means; a fill container means removably held by and between said rails, said fill container means having a bottom designed as a removable slide and a cover forming a dusttight seal, for allowing cremation residues to fall into said means for cleaning.

- I PATENT OFFICE i OF CORRECTION.

v i I November 6th, 1973 Invento fle) v It is oe i'o t i f iefi tfibeftofappears in the above-identified patent and that said, Letters Patent are {hereby corrected as shown below;

In the heading ofthepateht] line 9, change "P 20 21 576.8" to -P 20 SI 576 8'-'. v 1

Signed and peeled this 16th day of April 1971;.

(SEAL) Attest: I EDWARD M,V.FLETCHER,JR.J, c; MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer USCOMM-DC GOB76-P69 F ORM PO-1050 (10-69) i u.s. covsmmsm' rmrmue omc: n0 -su-su. 

1. A device for processing cremation residues, comprising in combination: a. cleaning means for removing magnetic portions from a residue; b. means connected to said cleaning means for receiving and comminuting thus cleaned residue; c. means connected to said comminuting means for conducting comminuted residue out of said comminuting means; d. means disposed below said conducting means for supporting an urn below said conducting means for emptying comminuted residue into an urn; e. means for filtering comminuted residue fine dust out of an air stream; f. means connecting said conducting means with said filtering means for drawing only fine dust from said conducting means for forcing the drawn fine dust in an air stream through said filtering means; and g. support means for carrying the means defined in (a) - (f) and encompassing them to form a unitary compact structure.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for conducting comprises a discharge pipe connected to said means for receiving and comminuting; wherein said means for drawing and forcing comprises an exhaust blower and a suction pipe communicating laterally with said discharge pipe at a substantially right angle with respect to the direction of residue flow in the latter; wherein said means for filtering comprises a filter hose, said blower being connected on its pressure side to said filter hose; and wherein said means for supporting an urn is disposed below said discharge pipe.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support means includes a cabinet-like closed structure.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said support means includes a box-shaped frame to which said means defined in (a) -(f) are secured and which is enclosed by said cabinet-like closed structure.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the box-shaped support means includes caster means for moving about.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support means includes frame means to which said means defined in (a) - (f) are secured; further comprising means for dividing said frame means at about one-half of its height into upper and lower portions; and means engaging said frame means for separably tightening together said upper and lower portions.
 7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for receiving and comminuting includes a hammer mill with a horizontal drive shaft and a sieve disposed in a lower housing half.
 8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rotor of said hammer mill is mounted in bearings only on one side and said mill includes an openable frontal housing cover.
 9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for supporting an urn comprises an urn supporting plate, a bar affixed to said urn supporting plate, a guide portion in engagement and cooperating with said bar, said bar is arranged for axial displacement in said guide portion.
 10. A device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising spring means at least indirectly connected to sAid urn supporting plate for pressing an urn disposed on said urn supporting plate against said discharge pipe.
 11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said discharge pipe includes means for centering an urn.
 12. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said spring means for causing said supporting plate to press an urn sealingly against said discharge pipe is disposed in said guide portion.
 13. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising rails affixed to the top of said support means; a fill container means removably held by and between said rails, said fill container means having a bottom designed as a removable slide and a cover forming a dust-tight seal, for allowing cremation residues to fall into said means for cleaning. 